


Incomplete

by giantpanda



Series: What if... [4]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:54:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24981148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giantpanda/pseuds/giantpanda
Summary: What if Neil hadn't gone back into the restaurant?
Relationships: Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Series: What if... [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799092
Comments: 12
Kudos: 48





	Incomplete

_I tried to go on like I never knew you  
I’m awake by my world is half asleep  
I pray for this heart to be unbroken  
But without you all I’m going to be is incomplete.  
~Backstreet Boys Incomplete~_

It had been two months since a favoritism complaint had changed Neil’s relationship with Claire. He had told her that they would need to stop socializing outside of work and had left her alone at the bar when she came to fight for their friendship. While he knew he was doing the right thing, it had hurt more than he expected. He hadn’t realized how much he had come to enjoy their time together until it had stopped completely. While they were still able to work together, it was different.

Before they would go back and forth with each other on treatment ideas, sit side by side during tests talking, and spend time going over paperwork while the others had left. Now it seemed as if Claire was only around him when she had to be. She would go out of her way to avoid being alone with him. He missed her. He missed talking and joking with her. He missed the way their relationship used to be. Which maybe meant that Audrey had been right when she told him that he had a problem.

He hadn’t realized how much he had come to care about Claire as more than just his resident until it was too late. He knew he had made the right choice for both of their careers, however, personally, he wished that he had walked back into the restaurant and joined her at the bar. There would have been different consequences for those actions, but he wouldn’t be miserable.

He still had plenty of paperwork to catch up on before he left for the night. He had sent all the residents home already. Deciding that he needed some fresh air, he walked out to the balcony. He hesitated when he saw Claire sitting out on the bench.

“I thought you went home.”

She stood, “I’m leaving now,” she said wiping at her eyes.

He took a step towards her. “Are you okay?”

It broke his heart to think that she had been sitting out here alone crying. He thought of when he had found her in the stairwell. He ached to comfort her.

“I’m fine.”

“If something’s wrong, you can talk to me.”

She shook her head. “Aren’t you afraid someone would see? We wouldn’t want anyone to think you were playing favorites.”

He sighed in frustration. “Claire, that’s not fair.”

“I should go, Dr. Melendez.”

He watched as she walked towards the door. He hated that she no longer called him by his first name. He hated this whole situation.

“What should I have done?” he asked, stopping her from leaving.

She turned around and looked at him her eyes shinning with tears. She stepped towards him.

“We weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he started. “The favoritism complaint made it seem like something was. What did you want me to do? Put both our reputations on the line, ruined your career?” 

“You were there for me. You saved me, and then you just walked away.”

“Claire…”

“No,” she stepped closer to him. “You walked away like our friendship meant nothing to you, like I meant nothing,” she said her voice quivering. 

He felt as if she had stabbed him in the chest. How could she ever think that she meant nothing to him?

“You know that’s not true,” he said his eyes filling with tears. “I walked away to protect you. I don’t want anyone to doubt your talent. You are too gifted for me to stand in your way.”

“I don’t need your protection,” she said angrily. “I needed my friend, I needed you.”

She turned from him and moved to the door. 

“Now, you’re the one walking away.”

“Yes,” she said, pulling the door open. “See how you like it.”

The door slammed behind her leaving him alone with his thoughts. He walked over to the railing and leaned against it. This was the first conversation that he had with Claire since he had left her at the restaurant. He still thought he had done the right thing but wondered if maybe the way he had gone about it was wrong. He knew he had hurt her by walking away, but he hadn’t realized just how much. Her words about needing him echoed in his mind. He could still see the pain her eyes as she told him she felt like she hadn’t mattered to him.

He wished that he could tell her that the problem was that she mattered too much to him. Audrey had seen it before he had. He still didn’t believe that he treated Claire better than the others, but he understood how he would be perceived differently. Part of him was relieved to know that she was hurting just as much by this as he was, that he wasn’t alone.

With a sigh he pushed away from the railing and went back to his office. He lost track of time as he stared at the work that he needed to finish before he went home. He startled when the door to his office opened. He looked up to find Claire with two cups of coffee in her hand. She walked over to his desk and handed him a cup. She then sat down in the chair in front of his desk. The sadness and anger he had seen on the balcony seemed to have dimmed.

He glanced down at the cup and back to her as she took a sip of her drink.

“You didn’t poison this did you?”

She smiled at him and he realized it was the first time in weeks he had seen her smile.

“Only one way to find out.”

He shook his head laughing. He picked up the cup and took a drink. He wasn’t surprised that she knew exactly how he took his coffee.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

He frowned in confusion. “For what?”

“I know you’re doing what you think is best.” She fiddled with the top of her coffee cup. “It’s just easier to be angry then to deal with the fact that I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” he admitted. “And I’m sorry I hurt you. It hasn’t been easy for me either.”

“Maybe you just need to spend time with all your residents outside of work.”

He made a face, both aware that there was only one resident he would want to spend time with. They sat together for a few minutes drinking their coffee. 

She stood, “Don’t stay too late.”

“I’ll be leaving soon,” he said, ignoring the desire to ask her to stay. 

As she walked out the door, she turned back to him and said, “Neil, I’m not going to be your resident forever.” 

“I know,” he said softly.

She smiled before leaving. He watched her walk away, and for the first time in months he felt a sense of hope. He finished his coffee and went back to work. Maybe this would all work out in the end.


End file.
